The Meta

Before I get on to last week’s result, which I think you can guess, I went training again last night and after the success of last week’s session, we had almost double the number of players. We spent a good 45 mins playing touch, then a warm up (? don’t you do that beforehand) and then some scrummaging, lineout and back moves. Unfortunately I had to st out the forward work as I managed to go over on my knee during the touch. Bagged it with ice and the swelling has definitely gone down, I am not one of those players that like to drop out at the last minutes, so come hell or high water I’ll be there.

Back to last weekend, with turned up at St. Ives at the same moment as the ref, oh my god it was the same chap who had ref’d us at the Oundle 7s and been absolutely lam-blasted by the other refs for his poor decisions. He told me he had just been promoted to 2nd team games, East Midland Referees, my god they must be desperate or not have watched him.

Anyway back to the game, what a physical encounter, we keep coming up against huge front rows, this week the tight head was a good 25 stone, I know this personally as the ………. managed to stand on my hand. We drove them at a couple of scrums and all afternoon I was winning against the head as they weren’t that experienced in that department, which is quite satisfying. We were dominating possession throughout, but couldn’t turn it into points. The final pass let us down, the player would become isolated and just toss it out, usual 2nd team stuff or more likely we got ourselves isolated, in any event we were camped out in their half, playing up hill and with the wind in our faces all that first half. We turned round at 0-0, shocking. Throughout the game, it was a bit niggely, but the ref wasn’t doing much about it and I was having my usual good banter with the ref or so I thought.

Second half, we finally got our act together, we opened the scoring in the lefthand corner, when we stretched them one way, then another. At kick off, we fell asleep and for teh first time in the game, they got into our 22 and just ran straight through us and scored under the sticks, a 7 pointer. They actually led 7-5 and for a few minutes, I actually thought they were going to win.

Then a bizarre situation happened, can’t remember who, but someone called the lineout and I threw in, the ref blew up, we all look confused and he said that he had been standing in the line, I slightly flippantly said can you move then please – nothing in it, but the twat penalised us and awarded a free kick. At the next break down, Neck went over to ask the ref what the decision was for and the ref said ‘you can ask him if you want’, well I lost it at that point, I have never lost it at a ref before, I may have sworn at them, but that was it. I gave him a verbal tirade, not something that I am proud of, but it had pushed the boundary. Cleverly, Neck walked the ref away and we got on with the game. The ref from that point on stood trying to stare aggressively at me, I just ignored him and got on with my game, I had got my tension out.

Back to the game again, we had about 9 minutes on the clock at this point and were losing, but we scored two tries in quick succession to walk away, 15-7 winners over St. Ives. They were a nice bunch of boys, but just like last season, we had to grind out a tough win against them.

When we got back to the club, the beer tasted very good. There was a silly hat theme been run that night, everyone was heading into town with silly hats, but we (Chris, Paul & myself) decided to head off to Paul’s to watch the Harlequin v Leicester game, we would catch them up later. What a dour affair that was, couple of good tries by Leicester, but they look anything other than ordinary at the moment – no dog about them. Quins were up 9-5 at half time and if it hadn’t been for the sin binning of Will Skinner for a needless late shoulder charge on Burke, they might have held out for a win. In stead of which Tigers scored while he was off the pitch. Yet again though another close game. Unlike the the Currie Cup game and Air NewZealand that I watched Friday night/Saturday morning.

You could see why the Pumas and Falcons are bottom of the table as they appear to have no defences, Pumas stormed into a huge lead only for Falcons to muster a great second half fightback and at one stage I really though they would do it. In the end, they had just enough in the tank. Auckland against Otago was a far more clinical game with Auckland comfortable winners 48-7, Otago were never allowed to get into the game as this is why Auckland are top and Otago bottom. To think Auckland haven’t got their All Black stars back, looks like a great game against Canterbury coming up this weekend. Managed to get to see the highlights of Cheetahs versus the Sharks, an awesome game with a last minute drop goal to secure it for the Cheetahs.

In the premership, again another week of close games apart from Gloucester- Northants, where Northanst were on the end of a big drubbing, Sale narrowly beat Saracens on Friday night as Falcons lost to Irish. Bath were unconvincing in a 17-11 win over Worcester, who are still routed to the foot of the table and result of the weekend Bristol sunk the mighty Wasps and boy did they thoroughly deserve to!

Sky sports – they do a good round up of Currie Cup, Air NZ Cup, Premiership, but what about the Celtic League and other far flung leagues, when will they start showing a wider selection – this rugby nut wants more

Last weekend, we were up against a Boston fifteen, who were of similar
stature to us, but had an average age about ten years less than us! What a
game though, the ref, one of our lads, was a bit hung-over and as is usual
when one of yours refs the game, he gave a lot to the oppo.

Well a total of 11 tries were scored in the game, first half we played up the hill with the wind in our face and were all square at 12 points a piece at half time. Tough game, they has two speedsters the right wing and full back, quite cocky, but good. We were playing two vets at centre, one a fly half and one a winger and we all struggled with the pace.

The second half opened up and they scored five unanswered tries in quick succession through their speedsters. Managed to split my head open, whilst the 5th one was being scored. We then started to trundle and play our game, pull the people in, then using the lineouts and scrums to win the ball, our support play improved. We had to sub one of our flankers, so I moved out to flank and a replacement hooker came on. We scored a couple of goods tries, they scored one in between and we ended on a high. The game was closer than the score suggested at 48-29, had a couple of differences of opinion as well, it was great to feel like we were back in the groove.

Next week St Ives, bring it on.

Well week 3 of the Premiership and Women’s World Cup to boot. The English women were very unlucky, New Zealand are the world champions and have been for a long time, but England pushed them all the way and only a breakaway try at the end when England were pushing for a score, flattered the scoreboard. But good game, these girls can show some of us lower league players a thing or two.

Back to the main action, accusations of racism in the Northampton game lead to the game being halted – rumour mill has it a tall English wing got rather frustrated with a coloured player not giving him the ball quick enough! Saints eventually won the game against Bath. As expected Sale beat Worcester on Friday, Gloucester drew at Leicester, who just aren’t firing at the moment, Bristol beat London Irish, Sarries thumped the Falcons and Wasps thumped Harlequins.

So the table after three weeks, sees three undefeated teams in Wasps (3 out of 3 wins) Gloucester and Bristol, whilst Worcester and Harlequins prop up the table with no wins.

Well the predicted drubbing was received, funny that when you pit a 1st against a 2nd team. Really tedious for us older ones, funny thing was that it was pretty much the same team that we played three times last year in guises such as 2nd and Vets.

We were 36-0 down, when the game was abandoned with 16 minutes left due to broken glass being found on the ground. Unfortunately I had to leave the field injured in the first half due to a hand injury, when I had gone up for the ball at kick off and it jerked my finger right back, couldn’t grip either of my props, who are quite big lads!

So at least we haven’t lost yet!

Anyway managed to watch the entire Premiership highlights and the last Tri-Nations game. South Africa looked to be on a mini-roll, although it was a dead rubber, look out
England in the autumn internationals, the so-called whipping boys look back to form.

The Premiership looks great for this season though, I know it was only the first game of the season, the standard was awesome, although I did see an opposition hooker get one against the head, now that is rare in this day and age. Mind you I got a couple on Saturday, but at their level you don’t expect it.

I love the fact that the games this last weekend have been so close, that can only be good for the Premiership, you cannot predict who is going to win. Irish, Saints & Wasps squeezed out Quins, Falcons & Sarries respectively, Bristol thrashed Worcester, Leicester were comfortable winners over Sale and Gloucester edged it against
Bath. What a weekend, welcome back guys.

Off to the Burghley Horse Trails this weekend, normally it is in August, so won’t be playing this weekend.